Boat.



J. J. RYAN & C. C. SMITH.

BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

J. J. RYAN & C. C. SMITH.

BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 mum 1 5013 (J (Toruuri JOHN J. RYAN, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIQ,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO SMITH-RYA AN'D onnrsrornnn c. SMITH, or

N BOAT AND ENGINE 00., 0F ALGONAC,

ALGONAG,

MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

' Application filed June 17, 1912. Serial No..704,030.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN J; RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Algonac, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigamhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to high speed launches or boats and more particularly to' What are known as hydro-planes having one or more steps and has for its object to pro vide a boat of this class which is so con-' structed and shaped as to prevent the lifting of the bow and depressing or squatting of the stern when under high speed; a further object being to provide a boat of this class with means for supplying air beneath the bottom at or near its junction with a step, which air passes rearwardly along the bottom and operates to reduce the friction and prevent the suction or tendency to form a vacuum which results in the squatting of the stern when under high speed.

We are aware that hydro-planes having one or more steps of general V cross section, the planes being concaved transversely with the surfaces of the planes merging into the sides of the hull with hard having a greater inclination longitudinally than that of the keel, have heretofore been attempted, but we believe we are the first to take a round bilge boat of the displace-- therefrom a hydroment type and construct plane having one or more steps which by reason of the introduction of air at this pointv beneath the after part of the hull pree vents the same from squatting and adds materially to the speed. Further, with round bilge boats of the hydro-plane type itis possible to obtain better lines both for speed and seaworthiness as well as for turning at a high rateof speed in a seaway.

With these and other objects in .view the invention consists in a boat of the class specified, constructed all as more fully hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings in which--' Figure 1 is a "side elevation of a boat of the single step type involving our invention,

and CHRISTOP ER C. SMITH,

bilge lines and are closed, which 'parts being broken away to show the step;

Fig. is a .plan- View of the deck showing the location of damper controlled air chutes at the step onopposite sides of the center line;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section through one of the damper controlled air chutes'at the step Fig. 41 is an athwartship section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, looking toward the bow; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the damper control.

As shown in the drawings llindicates a hull of the round bilge type, 2 the ribs, 3 longitudinal bilge stringers and 4 :a"trans verse member-for forming a step of the hydroplane, to which the upwardlycurved portion 5 of the after section of the hull is secured by means of a second transverse member 6, these together forming-a wedge shaped "pocket immediately .-in. rear of the step to which air chutes 7 lead preferably on opposite sides of the propeller shaft-8.

9 indicates the propeller, 10 the rudders,

ll'the fuel supply tank, 12 the motor, preferably of the V type, wheel upon which are carbureterand spar control levers 14. I i The air chutes 7 are each provided with damper. 15 connected'by' a suitable rod 16 and bell crank 17 to levers 18 on the pillar of the steering wheel within convenient reach of the operator on the seat 19 from which the entire operation of the boat is controlled. The upper ends of the air chutes are carried some normal water line and while two have been shown on opposite sides ofthe longitudinal center of the boat, it is obvious that one or more maybe used and while but one step is shown in the drawings more may be pro vided depending some upon the length of the,boat, any one or all of which may be equipped, with air chutes.

In operation, in starting,

causes-the boat to squat or settle by the stern the. boat gathers increased headway, afierwhich the dampers in the air chutes are-"o ened,' permitting air to be drawn underneat "j'the boat reason of the vacuum, or suction are; I f in the pocket immediately 1n rear of thestepwhich admission of air results in the of the v stern, giving the boat an increased speed of from ten to twentymiles anflhour' so that when the boat ofsay twentyssi'x foot length,

distance above the and 13 the steering the air chutes .rearwardly, the motion of the boat is traveling at from forty to fifty miles per hour, it would be upon substantially an even keel as shown by the water line in Fig. 1, while at a much lower speed with the air chutes shut off, the how would be high in the air with the stern dragging heavily, resulting in a considerable deadening of the speed. By proper manipulation of the air controlling valves in the air ducts, a matter that is easy because of the situation of the damper or valve, control members on the steering wheel pillar, the boat may be made to settle on one side or the other as occasionrequires. Thusoin making aturn at high speed, the resultant listing of the hull which is very pronounced in boats of" the light construction used in racing, is over comeiby closing the duct that is on the inside of the turn, so that that side of the hull clings to the water and the turn is made practically. on an even keel. the resistance of that side of the boat aids the rudder materially in swinging the boat and in case the rudder is disable-d, the boat may be controlled in a measure by admitting air first to. one side and then to the other to cause it to veer from a straight course. Similarly, in crossing swells or rollers diagonally, the operator is enabled by manipulation of the valves to balancethe boat by causing one side or the other to hug the surface of the water. As the ducts discharge through the vertical wall of the step over the water tends to draw the airthrough the ducts and does not choke the duct outlets as would be the CaSe if the ducts opened downwardly.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not care to limit ourselves to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

What we claim is 1. A boat having a'hull of the displacement type with rounded bilges and a transverse step, the cross section of the after stepped portion corresponding in contour substantially to the forward portion and the longitudinal lines of the after portion rounding convexedly, and means for admitting air to the step on each side of the center line of the boat.

2. A boat having a hull of displacement type with rounded bilges, and with a transverse step, the cross section of the stepped portion corresponding in contour substantially to'thjat of another portion, and the longitudinal lines thereof rounding unrokenly and convexly from the angle of the step into the lines of the other portion,.and means for admitting air to the step and for regulating the air supply from an operators Furthermore type with rounded bilges, and with a transverse step, the cross section of the stepped portion corresponding in contour substantially to that of another portion, and means regulatable from the operators station for admitting air through the step on either side of the center line 01: the boat as desired.

4:. A boat having a hull of displacement type with rounded bilges, and with a transverse step, the cross section of the stepped portion corresponding in contour substantially to that. of another portion and the lines thereof rounding unbrokenly and conveXly from the angle of the step into the lines of the other portion, and regulatable means for admitting air to the step in line with the direction of travel.

5. A boat having a hull of displacement type with rounded bilges and with a transverse step, the cross section of the after stepped portion corresponding in contour substantially to that of the forward hull and regulatable means for admittrolling the passage of air therethrough.

7. A boat having a hull of displacement type with rounded bilges and with a transverse step having an upright wall, the cross section, of the stepped portion corresponding in contour substantially to that of an.- other portion, and the lines thereof rounding unbrokenly from the angle of the step into the lines of the other portion, and con duits discharging rearwardly through the upright wall in line with the direction of travel for admitting air to the step on each side of the center'line of the boat.

8. A'boat having a hull-of displacement type with rounded bilges and with a transverse step, the cross section of the stepped portion corresponding in contour substantially to that of another portion, and me lines thereof rounding unbrokenly and com vexly from the angle of the step into the lines of the other portion, conduits for conducting air from above the waterline through the vertical wall of the step and that discharge in' line with the direction of. travel in rear of thestep.

9. A boat having a hull with transverse step, means for admitting air to the step on either side of the center line of the boat at the will of the operator in line with the dito the step in line with the direcrection of travel, means for steering and ducing and shutting off the air on either side of the center line of the boat at the will of the voperator.

10. A boat having a hull with transverse step, means for steering the boat, means for driving the boat, means for controlling the driving and steering means from an operators station, means for admitting air to the angle of the step on each side of the center line of the boat, and means for regulating and controlling the air supply on each side, adapted to be operated from the operators station.

11. A boat having a hull. of displacement type with rounded bilges and with transverse step, a motor for driving the hull,

means for steering the boat, a steering wheel for controlling the steering means, means on the steering wheel'for controlling the motor,

regulatable means for admitting air-to the angle of the step, and means adjacent the steering wheel for manipulating the air admitting means to reduce and cut off the air supply on either side of the center line of the boat.

12. A boat having a hull with transverse step, means for steering the boat, means for.

driving the boat, asteering wheel adjacent an operators station for controlling the steering means, means on the steering Wheel for controlling the driving means, conduits for admitting air to the angle of the step on each side of the center line of the boat, means for controlling the flow through each conduit, and means adjacent the operators station for operating the flow controlling means.

13. A boat having a hull of displacement type with rounded bilges and with a single transverse step having an upright wall, the cross-section of the stepped portion corresponding substantially in contour to the thwartship section of the hull with the lines thereof rounding unbrokenly from the angle of the step into the lines of the thwart-. ship section of the hull, means for steering the boat, means for driving the boat, and means for directing air from above the water line rearwardly through the upright Wall into the pocket formed by the step in line with the direction of travel.

14. A boat having a hull of displacement type with-rounded bilges and with a transverse step, the cross section of the stepped portion corresponding substantially in contour to the thwartship' section of the hull with the lines thereof rounding unbrokenly from the angle of the'step into the lines of the thwartship section of the hull, means for steering the boat, means for driving the boat, conduits for admitting air. to the angle of the step, dampers controlling the flow through each conduit, and means operable from an operators station for regulating and controlling the driving means, steering means and dampers.

15. In a boat, a hull, the bottom portion of the hull abaft the waist line being stepped, a vertical wall at the juncture of the stepped surfaces, and air ports in said wall.

16. In a boat, a hull, the bottom portion of the hull abaft the waist line being stepped, a vertical wall at the juncture of the stepped surfaces, air ports in said vertical wall, and means for controlling the supply of air to said ports.

17. A boat having a hull with rounded bilges, a transverse step, the bottom of the stepped portion merging into the sides of the hull and regulatable means for admitting air through the vertical wall of the step on either side of the center line of the boat.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. RYAN. CHRISTOPHER C. SMITH.

Witnesses:

O'rrro F. BARTHEL, C. It. STIOKNEY. 

